Georgia Senate taking up pari-mutuel betting on horse racing
Dave Williams
Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA Proposals to legalize gambling in Georgia are now in the pipeline of both legislative chambers in the General Assembly.
A bill introduced in the state Senate this week would allow pari-mutuel betting on horse racing in the Peach State subject to a statewide referendum.
The Senate bill, sponsored by Sen. Brandon Beach, follows the introduction of two measures in the Georgia House of Representatives to legalize online sports betting and casino gambling.
Beach’s 51-page bill calls for the construction of up to three mixed-use developments featuring a racetrack, hotels and restaurants. The facilities also could include convention space, entertainment venues and retail shopping.
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Topics of conversation today under the Gold Dome covered a variety of policies from vaccine availability and distribution, to the FY 2021 Amended Budget, and casinos and horse racing. Georgia schools are pressing for vaccines for the teachers and staff while the Department of Public Health has ratcheted down vaccine distribution to at least one county for their taking educators “out of order.” Late yesterday, Senator Brandon Beach (R-Alpharetta) placed in the hopper his legislation establishing the Horse Race Commission, SB 30.
Meanwhile, the House tackled its first major bill with the passage of a Committee Substitute on HB 80 with a vote of 149-20, our state’s spending plan for the remainder of this fiscal year.